Austin City Council to vote on I-35 Cap and Stitch funding
The Brief
Austin City Council will vote Thursday, May 22, on funding for foundations of "caps and stitches" over I-35, shaping future city development.
Council members are split, with one group proposing $49 million for partial funding and another seeking $200 million for full foundational elements.
Mayor Kirk Watson is expected to cast the deciding vote and has stated support for the more scaled-back spending plan.
AUSTIN - Austin City Council is set to vote on Thursday on a decision that will shape how the city could look for generations to come.
The changes involve "caps and stitches" over I-35. Currently, the council is split on how much funding the city should commit to the project.
The backstory
Before the "caps," which are essentially park decks, can be built over the highway, the city has to fund the foundations on the bottom. The decision they make this week for the foundation will determine if caps are possible in the future. Members have split into two sub-quorums.
Council Members Vanessa Fuentes, Mike Siegel, Krista Laine, Marc Duchen, and Paige Ellis have a more scaled-back spending plan, proposing $49 million for the foundations from Cesar Chavez to 4th Street, and 11th Street to 12th Street.
That's compared to $200 million to do all five. The deadline to fund Phase 2 caps has been pushed to November 2026.
What they're saying
"I worry that if we end up spending hundreds of millions of dollars on retaining walls, we won't have any caps, and we won't have library improvements or parks or any of the other great things that our community asks us for year after year," Council Member Paige Ellis (District 8) said.
The city's overall debt capacity is $750 million. Some council members say a smaller initial investment leaves more money for other needs in the 2026 bond package.
"My point of view is the city has greater priorities and greater needs than funding a cover for the freeway. I would rather invest in putting roofs over thousands of people's heads than over putting a roof over a small part of I-35," Council Member Mike Siegel (District 7) said.
Council members Natasha Harper-Madison, Jose Velasquez, Chito Vela, Ryan Alter, and Zo Qadri are fully committed to all the foundational roadway elements. Four of them led a rally outside City Hall on Tuesday.
"I would like them to put it up to a vote. I would be willing to spend more in taxes to not have this huge blight in our city," Leila Levinson, who attended the rally, said.
The council members say the city doesn't need to pay for roadway elements until construction starts, so they have time to figure out how to pay. It doesn't have to be in the 2026 bond.
"What we're proposing is, let's fund those foundational elements. Make that investment now. Use the time we have to figure out how to fund the caps," Council Member Ryan Alter (District 5) said.
He says it's not a "false choice" between the project and other priorities.
"We know by looking at alternatives, whether it's the hotel occupancy tax, the car rental tax, other creative funding sources that allow for us to pay for the caps, they would have no impact on our ability to build parks, no impact of our ability to house individuals," Alter said.
A city memo suggested some funding sources could not be used for cap and stitch, and others would need voter approval.
Mayor Kirk Watson will likely be the deciding vote on Thursday. In a statement, he says he supports the scaled-back plan.
"I've appreciated the thorough consideration and discussion this Council has had on the numerous issues related to this decision, including how we might best prioritize the needs of our city. From time to time, we will disagree on how to assess priorities and how best to pay for things," said Kirk. "After looking at the choices we face, including how best to balance our comprehensive city needs and our financial resources, I've decided to support the staff recommendation."
What you can do
To read more about the Common Sense Caps Plan, click here. To read the full funding proposal, click here.
The Source
Information in this article comes from the Austin City Council and attendees of recent related events.
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